Obviously not quite how it works, since we've only had new classes in 2 out of 4 expansions.

3 out of 4 really- recall that paladins and shaman were new things together, and each faction had lacked them previously. As such, there were several pieces of them redesigned as they previously served similar purposes.

In fact, Cataclysm was the first expansion that didn't add some new plate character on horde side :P

I would say that the only expac that didn't add a new class option was Cata- and not only did that add two new races, it dramatically expanded the list of class/race options as a sort of apology. Cata is also more of a half expansion- they said at the time it was going to signify a more rapid release cycle of expansions, and then they later admit that they failed.

Sorry to burst that bubble, but that is all Rpg uncanon. The only truly canon lore is from the wc3 description of them. Technically, blizz can make them wear whatever they feel like, while, at minimal, keeping a transmog set that look similar to that description, before completely going off base.

But, the wings, you posted... /twitches
would have been easier to post an image of full fury with horns out and then compared it.

Those wings, are afk wings. Simply there to let the priests qq that they cant afk in wings. That is honestly, the only thing good for them. *nods* But, you have to admit the fan made picture and that is completely different. DA form is ghostly visage of everything, and has no movement. Not to mention, wielding a staff... looks horrible.

Well let's be real here, this is a picture of a Demon Hunter from WC3;

You can't go from no armor to the second heaviest armor in the game in an instant. It just doesn't make sense.

As for DA, its not just the wings, it's the horns, and the energy flowing through your body. Clearly that is the WoW version of the DH mid demon form.

Well let's be real here, this is a picture of a Demon Hunter from WC3;

I like how his biceps have smaller biceps. Biception.

You can't go from no armor to the second heaviest armor in the game in an instant. It just doesn't make sense.

It makes as much sense as the unarmored, unarmed monks wearing rogue leather and wielding rogue weapons, so sure, it makes a lot of sense.

Other threads have spent time worrying about how you could convert each piece of mail to a glyph, tatoo, or magical swirl around them. The point isn't really to try to tell Blizzard, or anyone else, how to do it. The point is that it doesn't really matter how they do it, they easily can.

EDIT: Also in agreement with Thim above. You have plenty of mostly unarmored guys in WCIII, and they all got assigned armor- sometimes even the "second heaviest type in the game"- without incident or issue.

Well let's be real here, this is a picture of a Demon Hunter from WC3;

-snip-

You can't go from no armor to the second heaviest armor in the game in an instant. It just doesn't make sense.

As for DA, its not just the wings, it's the horns, and the energy flowing through your body. Clearly that is the WoW version of the DH mid demon form.

*cough* blademaster*cough*
Yea... I went there.

I sorta stated it would have been better to shown full fury da form =\
The da form was created, when they did not want Warlock permanently sitting in meta to afk in on beta, as they were, or tanking the entire city and pvping in full meta. It was a quick solution, simply adding wings to the lock. They did not add any of that fury generation, as it was already there from there way of fury generation for warlock to meta in once full bar. So, in itself, it was a quick bandaid to get rid of afks in meta form and for enemy players to know... it is not meta, but simply DA. thats all it was. They really did not work hard on that, and to say that is WoW's version of dh mid transformation, is blasphemy. it really was a quick solution to a pvp reason. If you see meta with full fury on the battleground, you know to stay away, but if you see a DA with full fury, time to rape him so hard his butt hurts for a week.

You can't go from no armor to the second heaviest armor in the game in an instant. It just doesn't make sense.

Sure it makes sense.

I showed you pictures of Shamans being barechested in Warcraft 3. You showed me pictures of Shamans wearing mail in WoW. We're both in agreement they're all still Shamans.

I mean this is a prime example. Shadow Hunters are essentially Shamans too. If he can look like this, Demon Hunter NPCs can still be the bare-chested skirt-wearing badasses that have nothing to do with players wearing mail.

A new class sounds cool but when thinking about how poorly they manage their balancing now... they wouldnt get it any better with another class on the board. A class that does so bad in an xpac in terms of performance and population that they have to give them their own legendary weapons.... (cough rogues) shows they are not innovative have poor ideas and it will be a colossal cluster fk.

They just dont have what it takes. I personally find monks to be my least favorite class and the panda introduction was even worse than the squid goats from space. But when the majority of the mature player base has more than likely moved on and whats left over is a younger crowd who wants everything obtainable the easy with Cata/MoP is what you get.

They need to spend the next xpac showing gamers what they can really do. They have dropped the ball on content ( raids/no new 5 mans/ lame bgs ) and the tier sets art is some of the worst seen. Take what they got overhaul it get the shit right again then when the time comes bring in a class that is epic like the dk was but obv not crazy op.

Nobody has innate demon magic except for demons. Other races can be irradiated by exposure to it, but it's not a spiritual thing, it's a corruptive thing. I've gone over the wiki pages for demons, demon hunters and warlocks so many times that I really ought to be ashamed of it, and not once have I read anything like what you're saying here.

Technically it's an extrapolation of what was said in RPG books. I admit they would not be 100% canon, but they are also the closest source of Demon Hunter lore outside of Warcraft 3's basic description of 'Shadowy Warriors' and 'Selfless pact with darkness'. Take it as what you will, but this is the closest example of what explains the difference between a Warlock and a Demon Hunter.

"In the millennia since, other night elves, and a few creatures of other races, have made the same pact, binding demonic essence in their bodies and using it to destroy the Legion's minions."

Using Skull of Gul'dan as an example, Illidan literally consumes its power and draws it within himself. It's a part of him now, they are one at the same. That's why he turns into a demonic form, and that's the source of his power. He doesn't draw the power from outside sources, and the Skull is merely a trophy.

In essence, Demon Hunters use power from within. The greatest example of this is Illidan, though it should not be limited to him considering he is a very unique character.